mr. chairman , i thank the chairman for yielding me this time . 
mr. chairman , opponents of this legislation have said we do not need this bill . 
they said , we need a debate on health care , and i am pleased to engage in that debate . 
i am reminded of the book that talks about everything i need to know in life i learned in kindergarten . 
i have learned a few things here . 
lawsuits do not lower obesity rates . 
lawsuits do not improve the nutrition habits of children . 
lawsuits do not reduce the $ 127 million annual medical costs that our nation incurs on obesity-related conditions in children and the increase in obesity rates . 
mr. chairman , parents need to teach their children at early ages to eat healthy meals and to establish exercise routines for their families . 
school districts need to make sure they have gym classes and serve the right kinds of food as an option . 
proper diet and exercise will help reduce medical complications that are increasingly common in children , such as hypertension , diabetes , high cholesterol , and heart disease which were once found almost exclusively in adults . 
in my years working as a psychologist and oftentimes consulting with courts , i have yet to find a court that can replace a parent . 
when will we learn we can not litigate compassion , we can not mandate common sense , and we certainly can not legislate personal responsibility . 
h.r. 554 will do more than restrict lawsuits against food and manufacturers for weight-related cases . 
it forces us to take personal responsibility for ourselves and our families and put a priority on establishing healthy lifestyles . 
here are the facts . 
if you touch a flame , you are going to get burned . 
if you eat a lot and do not exercise , you are going to gain weight . 
we need to take personal responsibility for that . 
the bill before us directly protects individual freedoms of all americans from a tiny minority who try to exploit the legal system for personal gain . 
i strongly support h.r. 554 , and i commend the chairman for his work . 
